The well-being of our attendees is HBA’s #1 priority. Here’s what we’re doing to protect your health and give you peace of mind so you can focus on collaborating and connecting with other attendees at the 2022 HBA Annual Conference. While COVID-19 will remain with us for the foreseeable future, we are now better positioned to live with the virus. Vaccines, treatments aimed at preventing severe illness in people at higher risk, and testing are now widely available. We will be guided by data, science, and recommendations from public health officials on decisions we make moving forward.
Masking
In addition to adhering to Marriott’s Connect with Confidence protocols, we are asking that attendees wear masks, covering both nose and mouth, except when eating or drinking. Acceptable masks include disposable surgical masks; valve-free respirator masks (N95 or KN95); gaiters with two layers; and cloth masks with “tightly woven fabric” and/or filter inserts, or a clear plastic window.
Proof of Vaccination/Negative COVID-19 Test
In addition, we require one of two options for attendees to gain entrance to the 2022 HBA Annual Conference at the Sheraton Downtown Philadelphia.
• Option A – Provide Proof of Up-to-Date Vaccination
The CDC’s definition of “up-to-date” is a person who has received the primary series of COVID-19 vaccines and any applicable booster shots. In the US, the primary series is defined as two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech, two doses of Moderna, two doses of Novavax, or one dose of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen. For other WHO-approved vaccines the primary series is defined as two doses of AstraZenca/Oxford, Sinopharm, Sinovac, COVAXIN, Covovax, and Nuvaxovid, or one single dose of CanSino.
All verification of vaccinations will be conducted onsite, and proof of vaccination must come directly from the healthcare provider that performed the vaccination. Attendees may display proof on a smartphone or present a physical copy, along with a photo ID. Once approved, you will be given a wrist band to wear the duration of the event.
• Option B – Provide Proof of Negative COVID-19 Test
Provide proof of negative test result from an approved testing site taken within 48 hours of the event. The test results must clearly show the date and time of the test. Results from COVID-19 PCR tests and/or COVID-19 rapid antigen tests will be accepted. Self-administered or at-home test results will not be accepted. Once approved, you will be given a wrist band to wear the duration of the event.
Complimentary rapid testing is available at the Philadelphia International Airport.
Religious/Medical Exemptions: For those with medical or religious exemptions for the COVID-19 vaccine, results of a negative RT-PCR test must be provided 48 hours prior to conference start date.